Good exchange rate (£ to AED) and Prepaid Travel Master Card

[Az]

Me and the OH are off to Dubai for two weeks in a couple of weeks. As a result we need to exchange some £ to AED/Dirham.

Where do you discover the best exchange rate? Is it a matter of shopping around or is there a website(s) that compare the best rates daily or something similar?

I've also heard of a prepaid holiday master card that you can use abroad (clicky)? Does anyone have experience with these and is their any reason we shouldn't get one? Seems like a smart idea rather than carrying ££££'s in cash.

[herulach]

We use our halifax clarity for pretty much everything overseas, but you've left it a bit late now.Prepaid cards are decent, but don't use one to auth your hotel, just to settle it, otherwise you can't spend the monies.

For cash both mine and the OH's accounts do free cash out of hole in the wall, rates as good or better than anything here generally, and you can get as much as you need.
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YBR 125>FZS600

[arry]

I always use these guys:
https://travelpremier.onlinecurrency.co.uk/cgi-bin/live/ecommerce.pl?site=travelpremier_onlinecurrency&state=page&page=currencyindex

Good rates, delivery to door.

[winz]

I hope you're not a drinker! I paid approx £8-9 for a 500ml beer in Abu Dhabi airport during a transfer.

EDIT: Off topic.

Echo the Clarify CC with Halifix, but it's a bit late. I usually exchange in the country I am visiting, usually get a better rate than here.
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Previous: Honda CBR929RR, Honda CBR1100XX, Honda CB600F

[Scythe]

Halifax Clarity Card as others have said.

You might just be in time though if you apply online now. Mine turned up in about a week
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2009 Yamaha YBR125 -> 2000 SV650S -> 2005 Kawasaki ZX6R 636

[P.]

Money aside...

https://www.thatdubaisite.com/info/dos-and-donts/

[dodsi]

another vote for halifax clarity card.

[dydey90]

I have a clarity card and it was great for Iceland, where everything down to the busses take card. If you go into branch to open the account you should be able to get a card inside of a week.
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This post is probably not serious and shouldn't be taken literally.
Past: CBR125,ER6f NINJA 650, ZZR600 Current: VFR750

[P.]

I'm using a Revolut card when I head to America. Unsure if in word in Dub

[Pjay]

I just use the ATM's wherever I am, they work out around the same as the best deals on exchange rates from other services and you have the added bonus of only taking out what you need, so no losing out on changing back into £.

In some countries it works out great as some banks give you the bank rate of exchange and no commission at all. some charge a little and only a very few charge anything worth avoiding.

[Matt B]

[chris-red]

I've never been able to beat https://www.bestforeignexchange.com/

I don't even bother shopping around anymore they always come out on top.
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[someotherguy]

[janner_10]

[Az]

Looks like the whole pre-paid card thing is out the window, as no one seems to do it for AED at a decent rate.

Both me and OH bank with Lloyds, i'm unsure if they offer any decent services for using our cards abroad, but we will ask as we have to go in anyhow to withdraw our spending money cash at some point.

I've naturally been looking around and the best locally (Birmingham) that I came across was £1 to 5.3 Dirham.

Best Foreign Exchange is decent at £1 to 5.47 Dirham (the best i've seen so far anyway). Only issue being they're based in London and i'm in Birmingham. I could see that they offer a postal service, but I'd rather not rely on the Royal Mail for over £2k worth of Dirham and we're going away in only two weeks. If for any reason it was delayed/lost/whatever it'd make things difficult. I'd rather pay a premium if I have to for a lower risk exchange. Thanks for the suggestions though

[Az]